{"id":117822,"date":"2025-04-23T17:32:16","date_gmt":"2025-04-23T16:32:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/?p=117822"},"modified":"2025-04-23T17:32:16","modified_gmt":"2025-04-23T16:32:16","slug":"dreadlocks-we-not-targeting-business-owners-gov-bago","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/news\/dreadlocks-we-not-targeting-business-owners-gov-bago\/","title":{"rendered":"Dreadlocks: We not targeting business owners- Gov Bago"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Daniel Adaji<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Governor Umar Bago of Niger State has clarified that his administration\u2019s recent security directives do not target individuals with dreadlocks, especially those engaged in legitimate businesses.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cWe don&#8217;t have a problem with dreadlocks, but we have a problem with the cult here with dreadlocks,\u201d Bago said on Wednesday in Minna, the state capital, during the declaration of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport as an alternative to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cIf you have dreadlocks and you have business, please come to Niger State,\u201d he said.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">His clarification follows a wave of backlash over comments he made on Tuesday, where he had ordered the arrest and forced haircut of individuals wearing dreadlocks.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cRascality in Minna, anybody that you find with a dreadlock\u2014arrest him and barb his hair,\u201d Bago had told security agencies and traditional leaders during a security stakeholders\u2019 meeting at the Government House.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">That remark quickly drew criticism from Nigerians, particularly on social media, who accused the governor of targeting innocent citizens and promoting profiling based on appearance.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Bago, however, insisted that his administration is only targeting criminal elements who use dreadlocks and cult symbols to blend into communities and evade law enforcement.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cAll that is media propaganda,\u201d he said. \u201cWe are only driving that cult that is becoming a menace in Niger State.\u201d<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The governor\u2019s tough rhetoric came amid renewed efforts to tackle insecurity in the state. He declared a state of emergency on security in April 2024, after Niger State recorded more than 1,500 deaths and over 1,000 kidnappings across 16 local government areas within 18 months.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">As part of sweeping security measures, Bago imposed a 12-hour curfew on commercial motorcycles and tricycles, restricting their movement from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., except for medical emergencies. He also warned that houses found harbouring criminals or drug dealers would be demolished.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cNiger State is not for useless people. Any house found harbouring criminals should be demolished,\u201d he said, instructing traditional leaders to maintain accurate records of residents in their areas.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Although dreadlocks have cultural, religious, and fashion significance for many Nigerians, Bago argued that in Niger State, the hairstyle has become a marker for cultists and criminal gangs.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cFrom this moment it\u2019s fire-for-fire,\u201d Bago warned. \u201cAny attempt to harass any security officer is an attempt to harass the government of Niger State.\u201d<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Despite the controversy, the governor\u2019s message on Wednesday attempted to reassure the public.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cPeople misconstrued our words,\u201d he said, he said, stressing, \u201cWe are not after lawful citizens. We are after those hiding behind symbols to commit a crime.\u201d<\/div>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Related Posts generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Daniel Adaji Governor Umar Bago of Niger State has clarified that his administration\u2019s recent security directives do not target individuals with dreadlocks, especially those engaged in legitimate businesses. \u201cWe don&#8217;t&hellip;<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Related Posts generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":117823,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-117822","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - 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